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PRIME MINISTER's PRESS CONFERENCE HELD on 26TH AUGUST, 1965, at CITY HALL. Press : (Local) Why Have You Been So Silent Over T

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PRIME MINISTER's PRESS CONFERENCE HELD on 26TH AUGUST, 1965, at CITY HALL. Press : (Local) Why Have You Been So Silent Over T 1 PRIME MINISTER’S PRESS CONFERENCE HELD ON 26TH AUGUST, 1965, AT CITY HALL. Press : (local) Why have you been so silent over the last few weeks? Prime Minister: First, there was a tremendous amount of work to be done. This is a radically different situation and, you know, my colleagues and I -- we like to calculate the consequence of each and every move and overture that we make or that is being made to us. And there are times when silence is golden. And you can take it from me that what Mr. Rajaratnam, the Foreign Minister, and Mr. Lim Kim San, the Finance Minister, have been saying, is said after the closest consultation with me and my colleagues. He speaks for us all... So, it does not mean that because I do not speak, we are not thinking or working. I am meeting you today because I had to meet the Chambers of Commerce and the Trade Unions, the Manufacturer's Association, because economics is the basis of successful lky\1965\lky0826.doc 2 democracy and also because I think we have cleared the hump. You know what Africans thinks about bases and the British bases. You know my position is on that. And although I am not a stranger to President Nasser, it took about two weeks for him to accord recognition, knowing full well what my position is. All of Asia now, except for Indonesia, has recognised us and I think so will the O.A.U. (The Orgainsation for African Unity). All the member-states, will, I think, recognise us. I have no need for concern that I am a neo-colonialist stooge. Question 2 : (The Chinese Press) PM translates: He said from the statements I have made, my colleagues and I, it appears that we still consider that one day we will be back in Malaysia, and that although we were pushed out or asked to walk out of Malaysia, we walked out with every intention, one day, of walking back into Malaysia. Briefly, I said that students of geography, of history, of economics -- any keen student -- must know that you cannot, lky\1965\lky0826.doc 3 by a legislative act, cut bonds between people who feel the same, who are the same. It is not just Chinese here and Chinese in Malaya, but Malays here and Malays in Malaya, Eurasians here and Eurasians in Malacca. Mr. Devan Nair is technically a foreigner now. But do you believe that in my heart, although legally I can say nothing, I can do nothing -- do you believe that in my heart and in the heart of my colleagues, he is anything other than one our closest comrades? There are bonds which cannot be broken; and what is more... you know, economics? Interdependence makes it inevitable, that maybe in ten years, maybe less, maybe more, it must come back together again, perhaps under somewhat different conditions and circumstances. But I have not the slightest doubt that that must be so. Question 3 : (The Malaya Press) Translated by PM. I will just translate briefly. He said what is my view of Tunku's statement that Malaysia will have trade relations with Russia. And I said it must be so; again one of those things in history... In 1962, I visited Moscow; and I met the Minister lky\1965\lky0826.doc 4 for Trade and Commerce. He wanted very much to send a rubber-buying mission to Singapore because otherwise he had to buy dearer through London. I wanted very much to let that rubber-buying mission come in, but at that time the Internal Security Council consisted of the British, the old Federation of Malaya, and ourselves and we were told "No".... So it was "No" then. But I have already send word to the Minister for Trade and Commerce... I do not know if it is the same man, Russian names are a bit difficult for me. But I have passed word through diplomatic channels that this rubber buying mission would be welcome in Singapore, and so would TASS, and so would TANJUK from Yugoslavia, and the Yugoslavia Ambassador in Djakarta, formely Mr. Berber, was quite a friendly person. We knew him quite well. He used to come and go through Singapore. I met President Tito in 1962. He made a point of meeting me in spite of the fact that it was May Day, May the 1st. I hope that he will still know that what I was in 1962 is only stronger now, not weaker. I am nobody's stooge. I am not here to play somebody else's game. I have a few million people's lives to account for. And Singapore will survive, will trade with the whole world and will remain non-communist. lky\1965\lky0826.doc 5 Question 4 : (The Chinese Press) -- PM translates. Can I first translate? He says, very briefly, what about my security and my safety? What is being done? Do I intend to move house to a safer area? Let me first reply to him, then I will give you my reply. (PM replies in Chinese, then translates) I said briefly: one of the impressions which will be in everybody's mind if I move to a safe, comfortable residence, would be one of irresponsibility: looking after my personal safety, lowering morale. Yes, it is easy to come from the Rhio Islands. And if we do not want to get rid of the British bases, people can come; you know, volunteers ... If we are influenced by these considerations, my colleagues and I -- We should be selling peanuts: it is a better life. If we are afraid to die, then don't do this. The risk is there as you know: and you will know from today's conference arrangements, that nobody in this room and nobody outside lky\1965\lky0826.doc 6 this room can possibly be an enemy. I am sorry if any of you have been put to any inconvenience, but it was necessary. (PM here continues in Chinese) I said there are several sources, not only Indonesians, who wants to get rid of British bases, "volunteers" of course. My relations with the Indonesian Government are what I call "correct". I am also waiting their decision not with undue anxiety. There are Malay extreme elements, followers of the six wild men in the Peninsula, and there are communists who are in league with these Indonesians, who may find it covenient to get rid of my colleagues and I. From the days we proclaimed ourselves, from that moment, our position changed. If I was knocked down by a bus on the 8th of August, it would not be so difficult to keep things as usual as if I were knocked down today, or even on the 9th of August after the proclamation. lky\1965\lky0826.doc 7 You know when I visited Nasser in 1962, he made quite an impression on me. I was taken not to the Quebay Palace -- old King Farouk's Palace -- but to a little modest villa in the suburbs of Cairo where he lived when he was just a colonel. And I see no reason whatsoever why the arrangements cannot be made to ensure the security of my residence. And not just mine, but also my neighbours; because they may miss me and get my neighbours, and my neighbours are my very close friends. In front of me is the President of the Hakka Association, Mr. Chong Moong Seng. You know I am a Hakka. To my right, is a Teochew merchant, my clansman, also Mr. Lee. To my left, is a small trader, a petty trader. But we are all friends. Behind me is a piece of vacant land. I am sorry for the owner of that land because I think they were asking for planning approval to build a five-storey flat which will overlook my house and make it easy for what happened to President Kennedy to happen me. Well, it will remain vacant land... It could serve a useful purpose there, having a meterological office or a meteorological station and other things. lky\1965\lky0826.doc 8 And the most important thing of all is the morale of the people and of the administration. If I expect Singapore's workers to make sacrifices, to work hard; if I expect my officials to give of their best and I move to Sri Temasek -- and I have got every right, it is my official residence, there is the vote -- you know, it seeps down the line. Everybody then wants the good life. Then the flat which we now build, average cost per unit $4,000. -- becomes $8,000-- as in some neighbouring countries. It goes down the line. You know my officials? Some of them have not slept a full night's sleep for the last two weeks; Mr. Stewart for instance, he is 55; I am 42. I can take it better. Some of my junior officials who have been runing around getting things done: it is a tremendous job learning how to code message to foreign countries. Worse, we have got very few French translators, and half of Africa is French-speaking. It is a tremendous business, and they have been working 24 hours flat. And if you expect that kind of effort, then I say the Ministers -- my colleagues and I -- must be preapared to make the same effort. lky\1965\lky0826.doc 9 And I have not the slightest doubt that the Singapore Police Force under the Minister for Defence and Security, Dr.
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